Brazil lifts Starlink account freeze after $3.3 mln transfer

Brazil's Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes has lifted the freeze on the bank accounts of Starlink, the satellite internet service owned by Elon Musk, following the transfer of 18.35 million reais ($3.3 million) to the Brazilian government. The funds, which were transferred to the national coffers, settled fines imposed on Musk's social media platform, X (formerly Twitter).

The fines stemmed from an ongoing feud between Musk and Moraes, with the court penalising X for failing to comply with orders to block accounts accused of spreading misinformation and hate speech. The court had deemed this content a threat to Brazilian democracy. Musk, however, has repeatedly criticised the court's rulings, labelling them as "censorship" and pushing back against the platform's compliance.

Moraes had previously ordered access to X to be blocked in Brazil, one of the platform's largest markets, after it failed to remove content flagged by the court. The court had also penalised X for not appointing a local legal representative, a requirement under Brazilian law. The lack of compliance led to the freezing of Starlink's accounts, as the judge sought to recover funds for fines levied against X.

Although the freeze on Starlink's accounts has been lifted, the court confirmed that its decision to block access to X remains in place. This is because the social media platform has yet to comply with the content removal orders, and the issue of appointing a local legal representative is still unresolved.

Elon Musk, who owns 40% of Starlink's parent company SpaceX, continues to challenge Brazil's legal framework around X, even as the legal and financial pressures on his businesses in the country grow.

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